


A Day Without Rain

by Spunky0ne



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-03-30 21:02:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13959960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: A violent attack leaves Byakuya's half-blood cousin in a coma and fighting for his life. While attempting to hunt down his attacker, Byakuya and Ichigo discover stunning information Tetsuya had been secretly researching about a group bent on eliminating all mixed-blood clan members, as well as Ichigo, the human/quincy hybrid heir!...mpreg





	1. A Matter of Blood

Tetsuya Kuchiki's bright sapphire eyes watched quietly from within a copse of plum trees, near where is cousin and clan leader knelt beneath a lovely sakura that stood at the top of a little cliff, overlooking a moonlit lake and grassy meadow. To his cousin's right, and just ahead of Tetsuya's vantage point, a running stream spilled over the edge of the cliff and splashed down into the lake below them. Byakuya's chin lifted and his dark steel eyes focused on the full white moon overhead. Tetsuya read his peaceful expression and sensed his cousin's next words before they left his lips.

"Tetsuya, would you like to join me?"

The younger Kuchiki stepped out of the trees, pausing and glancing to his left as the nearby brush rustled and his tall black Arabian stallion poked his head out, snuffing through his nostrils to clear them. The stallion nickered and fell in at Tetsuya's heels as the young man approached Byakuya's favorite resting spot.

 _There seems to be no part of the estate that is not beautiful_ , Tetsuya reflected silently as he moved across the distance to meet his cousin, _Yet, of all of the beautiful places here, this is the one that is his favorite for rest and reflection._

Tetsuya breathed in the lovely scents of the splashing water, damp grass and flowers as he joined Byakuya and knelt at his cousin's side. Byakuya was quiet for several minutes, breathing slowly as he drank in the moon's light and let the cares of the day fade.

"Is there anything to report?" Byakuya asked softly, keeping his eyes on the moon.

"Not really," Tetsuya assured him, "It has been calm since the war ended and we began to rebuild."

"That is good."

"Yes," Tetsuya agreed, closing his eyes and marveling inwardly that the brightness of the moon still reached him, "I enjoyed being able to spend a little time reading in the gardens as I used to before the war."

Byakuya nodded.

"It is good to be able to return to our more casual pursuits, although the memories of the war are still fresh and they do tend to invade our peace at times."

"I feel the same," Tetsuya concurred, "I want so much to feel as I did before, but then I pass a place where one of our family was lost, or a friend, or a comrade. I do not mean to cry, but my tears come easily at those times. Hatred is such a painful thing. I wish there was a way to destroy it. I know better than to think there is a way, but…I try to remain hopeful."

"Although I know that your hopes of normality have been tested with the end of the war," Byakuya acknowledged, "I felt your disappointment at the way the elders decided to handle the losses to our numbers."

"Oh," Tetsuya said, smiling dismissively, "it isn't as though I wanted to be handed off to someone for marriage anyway. It is just…"

"It is wrong for them to fail to acknowledge your bravery during the war, and the astounding protection our clan enjoyed because of your forward thinking and preparations. I assure you, all of them know that, if not for you, we would have faced losses in the war as great as the others that the quincies targeted."

"I had to protect my family," Tetsuya said, opening his eyes and looking into the moon's light, "Sadao and Mai took me in when I was but a feral teen, who had never lived anywhere but within prison walls. Koji and Torio, our attendants, were the ones who taught me how to live in noble society, and you taught me to protect myself from ever being imprisoned again. I was fighting to protect all of those things, and I was not going to lose. I think the elders simply know that they were but the beneficiaries of my devotion to protecting my family."

Byakuya gave him a reproving look.

"You know as well as I do that you were determined to save as many lives as possible, no matter who was being saved. You grieved as deeply over watching strangers die at the hands of the quincy invaders as you did over our lost family and friends."

"I suppose that is true," Tetsuya admitted, his smile fading, "at least when it comes to the children who were lost. But I have always felt protective of innocent ones. I had no childhood to speak of, so it seems something I want to protect for others."

"You do that well," Byakuya said approvingly, "no matter how the elders fail to address it."

"I'm not looking for recognition," Tetsuya chuckled, shaking his head, "I think all I can reasonably hope for is that they will leave me alone."

"Ah, your life and mine are different in many ways, but believe me, Tetsuya, I share that hope. And I don't think either one of us will escape them entirely."

"Well," Tetsuya sighed, leaning against his cousin's shoulder and smiling as Byakuya's head tilted to rest against his, "at least we're in this together."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, offering Tetsuya a rare smile, "I do not know what I would have done without you. You were there when I lost my father, and when I lost my wife. You suffered through all of the elders' interference in my life. I am glad you are here now."

"I will always be here for you," Tetsuya promised, "After all, you were there for me. You saved me from that dark, horrible place. You showed me that life could be so much more than what I had been led to believe. And it is because of you that I have become strong."

"No," Byakuya objected softly, slipping a hand into his cousin's, "you were always strong, Tetsuya. I only freed you so that you could use the powers that were already inside you."

Tetsuya let out a soft breath.

"And I promised you that I would use those powers to remain free…and to fight the hatred that stole my parents and my childhood away from me. I remain true to that goal, even though it may take more years than I have."

The two men went silent, their eyes focused on the pretty moon above them as it wandered across the night sky. Tetsuya was about to doze off, but he felt his stallion's reiatsu tense slightly and looked back to where the horse's head was raised, and his ears perked towards the trail behind them.

Byakuya smiled.

"I believe Ichigo is coming to visit," he commented.

Ichigo laughed softly as he stepped off of the trail and approached the two Kuchikis.

"Well, try as I might, I just can't get past Arashi. I thought I was pretty quiet."

"Arashi just has powerful senses," Tetsuya said, pulling free of his cousin and standing.

He brushed off the grass that clung to his house guard's uniform,

"He knows very well you are a friend, so he will not harass you."

"Like he harasses Renji when he comes over to see Rukia?" Ichigo laughed.

"I believe he does it because Renji is amusing to tease," Byakuya suggested.

"Yeah," Ichigo chuckled, "he is, isn't he?"

Tetsuya stepped away, heading to Arashi's side as Ichigo sat down beside Byakuya.

"Y'know," the ginger-haired man said, smirking, "you don't have to leave, Tetsuya. I just wanna sit here and enjoy the moonlight with Byakuya. You don't have to run off."

"I'm not running off," Tetsuya replied, smiling, "I am a house guard and I need to check in with the night guards before turning in for the evening."

"Despite the agreement with the quincies to end our hostilities, we are careful not to take our safety for granted," said Byakuya, "This is one of the painful lessons we learned in the war."

"Will there be anything else, Byakuya?" Tetsuya asked.

"No, thank you. Have a good evening, Tetsuya."

"A good evening to both of you as well," Tetsuya answered, bowing.

He turned and flash stepped back down the trail with Arashi ambling in a more leisurely fashion after him. Ichigo leaned up against Byakuya's side, nuzzling his cheek and earning a smoky glance out of the corner of one of the Kuchiki leader's grey eyes.

"We're alone now," Ichigo said, bringing his lips close to Byakuya's, "Can I kiss you?"

"You needn't wait until we are alone to do that," Byakuya said approvingly, "Ichigo, I told you that it does not break any clan rule for you and me to see each other."

"But I know some of your elders were complaining about it. I heard your great uncle, Nori, talking to you about it when I was getting out of the shower in your room last night. Byakuya…"

"Certainly, there are some who do not approve of us being together…"

"Because I'm part quincy, and I'm from a clan that was banished, but is now higher in status than yours?"

"I imagine those are a few of their objections," Byakuya sighed, seeking Ichigo's hungry mouth and exchanging several passionate kisses, "but their objections don't matter. They are advisors. They do not have any power to make my personal decisions for me."

"And you really like reminding them of that, don't you?" Ichigo laughed, burrowing into Byakuya's shoulder and sliding his hands beneath the Kuchiki leader's loosely tied yukata.

"I do," Byakuya agreed, turning suddenly and bringing Ichigo down onto his back.

He pinned the ginger-haired man beneath him, pressing forward aggressively as Ichigo spread his thighs readily. Their kisses grew in intensity, and the two men rubbed their still clothed genitals against each other's.

"You missed me," Ichigo panted, smiling as Byakuya's hands deprived him of his yukata, and he moved his own clothing aside.

"I missed you," Byakuya agreed, running a warm hand down Ichigo's slim torso and seeking his entrance with hastily dampened fingers.

"God, I missed you too!" Ichigo answered, moving his hips and arching his back as the Kuchiki leader's fingers slid into his slicked entrance, then probed and thrust, carefully preparing him.

"I spent all evening, thinking about this, about being with you this way, Ichigo!" Byakuya whispered into his ear, thrusting his fingers in deeply and coaxing a delighted groan from deep in his lover's chest as he found the bundle of sensitive nerves, deep inside him and teased him mercilessly.

"O-oh, Byakuya! G-god, it feel so good when you do that! But, I want...more of you inside me!"

"You're impatient tonight," Byakuya said, smirking, "I think I am also."

He paused, looking down into Ichigo's sparking eyes, shifting and bringing the damp, leaking head of his engorged member to the place his fingers had been pleasuring. He pushed just the head inside, laughing softly as Ichigo cursed and pushed upward aggressively.

"Patience, my love," he chuckled, entering in slow, teasing thrusts, until he was buried in the ginger-haired man's core and Ichigo's hot breaths tickled his neck, sending beautiful twinges through his hungry loins.

"You want me to be patient," Ichigo laughed, reaching down to wrap a hand around his own thickened erection, "That's funny."

"I love you," Byakuya whispered, holding himself still as Ichigo adjusted, "No matter what those old men say, they will never stop me from loving you, Ichigo!"

Ichigo's strong hands wrapped around Byakuya's white bottom, urging his hips to move.

"I love you too!" Ichigo panted, bucking his hips upward and groaning amorously.

The two men writhed erotically, their naked bodied lit with pale moonlight and the light breeze fluttering their hair. Their moans rose over the sound of the waterfall and their flaring reiatsu brightened until it outshone the moon. They crested a wave of intense pleasure together, their voices mingling as they surrendered to the powerful shudders of orgasm.

Byakuya's slender body fell still and he collapsed onto Ichigo's muscular chest, seeking the younger man's lips and feeding more lazily on them. Nearly an hour had passed when the two finally disentangled their bodies and put their clothing back in order. They held hands as they walked back to Byakuya's room together.

"Are you planning to spend the night?" Byakuya asked, "You are welcome if you…"

"Are you kidding me?" Ichigo laughed, "Yeah, I'm staying."

The two slipped into the master suite, unaware that, down the walkway, Tetsuya Kuchiki's room stood unexpectedly empty.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sosuke Aizen felt a little shift in the reiatsu around him, and a sly smile came to his lips. His one uncovered eye peered into the darkness in front of him, and he spotted a small distortion in the area of the entrance to his cell.

"So," he said quietly, "you came back."

The air shimmered for a moment, and the slim body of a dark-haired, blue-eyed man formed in front of the white chair he was bound to.

"We weren't finished talking before," Tetsuya answered, a little shiver going through him at the touch of the prisoner's gaze, "You said that you had more information that could help me."

"I did. I gave you the location of some of the information. Did you find it helpful?"

"Yes," Tetsuya affirmed, "It was exactly the kind of information that will be useful in proving that Central 46 was complicit in the massacre of the breeder males. And you say that you have more files that will reveal names and prove that those noble lords were directly involved in the keeping of the secret prisons?"

Aizen gave the younger man a curious look.

"Tetsuya, I understand, of course, your need to have this information," he said quietly, "But…given that when you reveal that you have it, you will become a target for the ones you are seeking to expose, I think it's fair to require you to, first, carry through on your part of our agreement."

A little shiver passed through Tetusya's body, but he nodded in acceptance.

"That is fair, I suppose," he concluded, moving forward, "Very well. I will give you what you asked. I just have one question."

Aizen looked back at Tetsuya expectantly.

"I want to know why you asked me to bear your child," Tetsuya explained, looking down at his own slim belly, "You are master of the hogyoku. You are a transcendent. You have no need to procreate. So, I wonder why you want this."

Aizen gazed back him wordlessly as Tetsuya moved closer and invoked his power, sliding water into several of the locks on the prisoner and freezing it in the shape of the missing keys. He turned the ice keys, freeing Aizen's head, arms and nether region.

"I think it's a relatively simple thing," Aizen explained, admiring Tetsuya's downcast face and the flush on his skin, "I do not need a child. That much is true. But, I am a scientist, and both you and I are anomalies. I merely want to explore our bodies and powers to stimulate my mind while I sit here in prison. The child will not be harmed, and you are welcome to keep him or her and raise them. I will make no claim on them, as I know it would probably land you in some very hot water with your family for plotting with me."

"I am not plotting with you," Tetsuya insisted, his fingers shaking as he opened his clothing, "We have an agreement that will undo several lifetimes of wrongdoings. I am doing this for the ones who were in the cells of Itamigiri with me, and never lived to breathe freely. If it means letting you inside me and bearing a child for you, I will. I have suffered the cruelty of men's intolerance, their hatred. You may look down on me, but you don't hate me for what I am. And I am used to bearing pain, so you needn't be gentle with me."

"This is not about hurting you, Tetsuya," Aizen chided him, "It is intellectual curiosity. I gain nothing by hurting you. In fact, I think I would be more interested in seeing you in rapturous pleasure. You are a very lovely young man."

Tetsuya blushed brightly.

Aizen gave him a more intense look.

"What if I require you to have a longer term relationship with me?" he asked, smirking.

Tetsuya looked back at him doubtfully.

"It is not easy to sneak into Muken."

"That is an understatement," Aizen said, smirking, "You are a wonder, Tetsuya. I am so glad that we met…even though meeting you cost me my freedom."

Tetsuya's blue eyes reflected a measure of guilt at the words.

"I wish that I had not found you," he sighed, "Had you awakened and no one was there, you could have slipped away."

Aizen's smirk warmed into a smile.

"But then, you would not be here with me, trading sex and use of your breeder ability for the information no one else can give you. Besides, don't you think I belong here?" he asked.

"It's cold and dark," Tetsuya said more softly, moving close to the imprisoned man and slowly uncovering his already dangerously aroused penis, "No one should be locked up in a place like this."

"Not even an evil man?"

Tears came to Tetsuya's eyes as his mind replayed the moment he had read the secret order to eliminate Aizen's family.

_The hateful ones in Central 46 found out that Sosuke was developing strong powers. They hate the Rukongai folk, and they wanted to be sure Sosuke's power was lost. They tried to kill him, and while he was locked up and waiting to die, they killed his family to be sure they snuffed out that power._

"You were not an evil child," Tetsuya said softly, climbing onto the bound man's lap.

He quivered under Aizen's hands as the elder man began to explore him.

"What are you doing?" Tetsuya asked uncertainly, "You didn't say that…"

Aizen's mouth found his, and a hot, open-mouthed kiss stole his breath away. He quivered as Aizen's dampened fingers pushed into his entrance. The cold fingers moved, thrusting in and sliding out, carefuly stretching the sensitive tissues.

"I told you that you don't have to be gentle with me," Tetsuya reminded him, looking down to avoid Aizen's piercing brown eyes, "I'm not weak anymore."

Aizen's other hand slid under the younger man's chin, raising it so their eyes met.

"I am curious why you are so convinced that I want to hurt you," Aizen mused, "Did the sexual training they forced on you in the prison leave you unable to imagine sex that is only for pleasure? Or do you think I have some reason to hate you?"

I am half noble," Tetsuya said softly, escaping the elder man's hand and burying his face in Aizen's shoulder, "You hate at least half of me, and the rest means nothing to you, except as a curiosity. I understand. Take what you want. I'll console myself with the knowledge that it will help to protect others like me from suffering the horrors I've known."

"If I had a heart," Aizen said, touching Tetsuya's cheek gently and raising his chin again, "I would admire such self-sacrifice.

"What am I sacrificing?" Tetsuya whispered as Aizen's lips touched his, caressing them tenderly, as his fingers moved inside Tetsuya, finding the bundle of nerves inside him and caressing until the noble's blue eyes grew hazy and clouded, "The wicked men of Itamigiri showed me the worst of their cruelty. I lost my innocence long ago. I've never known true love, only a love that ended in sacrifice. Naoki sacrificed himself so that I would live. Now, I live to serve the dream we once had of living in a world that would not hate us for who we are."

"Well, let me assure you, this little corner of Muken holds no one who hates you. Relax now."

Aizen's slicked fingers slid out of Tetsuya's prepared entrance, and his hands wrapped around the younger man's soft, white bottom. Tetsuya turned his head aside and closed his eyes against the feelings of intense heat and invasion as Aizen guided him down onto the elder man's thickened member.

"I haven't been with a lover for a long time," Aizen admitted, running his hands up and down Tetsuya's naked back as the younger man writhed atop him, "You are so lovely, Tetsuya Kuchiki, even though I know you wouldn't let me touch you if I wasn't helping you."

"You wouldn't be touching me if I wasn't an anomaly," Tetsuya replied, burying his face in the prisoner's strong shoulder, "This isn't about love, Sosuke Aizen. This is about justice."

Aizen's thrusts grew rougher and his fingers clenched at Tetsuya's bare bottom as he began to climax. Tetsuya's eyes opened and widened at the sight of Aizen's impassioned face.

 _For a moment, he feels free. I gave him that. And even though he is a criminal and he could kill me, I want to comfort him after what they did to him. Sosuke Aizen isn't so different from me_ , Tetsuya thought as he slid off of the prisoner's lap, then carefully cleaned and dressed the two of them, _The only difference is that my heart is too gentle to hate even my aggressors. Sosuke isn't afraid to hate the people who hurt his family and him…and he wasn't reluctant at all to kill them._


	2. One Little Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya and Ichigo find themselves concerned about Tetsuya, as the younger Kuchiki suffers a disturbing flashback.

It was still dark when Tetsuya woke, and he heard a rumble of thunder, and the sound of raindrops striking the house and wooden walkway outside his bedroom. A little feeling of dizziness made him pause and clench for a moment at the covers as he sat up, his eyes widening as they cast around the room.

_I haven't been afraid of the dark for awhile, but just being in that horrid place for even a few minutes is enough to bring back those old fears. And not only was I inside the lowest level of the Central 46 prison, I was in the company of a monster strong enough to survive for a long time in that dreadful environment. And while in his company, I let him deeper inside me than anyone has been since the guards of Itamigiri and my own wicked cousin, Orochi, filled me with their wickedness, probably hoping that their seed would poison me and kill me slowly. Even Naoki's more tender invasions met with only a numbness. I did love Naoki, but I didn't even want his hands on me._

_A tyrant's hands can be warm, but they are full of coldness. A slave's hands may be cold, but the heart beneath them is warm and caring. It knows the price of hatred and cruelty, and it would never inflict that on another._

A little quiver ran through Tetsuya as he recalled Sosuke Aizen's fury, and his desire to break the strength of the Gotei 13 and noble houses.

_There are some slaves…peasants…commoners, who let the hatred inside them. It poisons them and enrages them, swelling their pain into a dangerous madness. Sosuke Aizen is one such man, one who suffered the wickedness of hatred, and was tainted with it. No one but me knows the truth of what took him down that road. He asked me not to speak of it, but that truth tears at my mind. It torments me._

He looked down at his slim abdomen, reaching down to caress the area where he felt the creative forces within his body already working.

_He may have given himself over to the madness, but I have done my part to defy Central 46's plans for him. They tried to kill Sosuke as a child. They did kill his family to try to snuff out the power that lived in that peasant bloodline. But, I won't let them! Sosuke may dismiss this child as the side effect of his scientific curiosity, but to me, this child means hope. Strength does not lie only within the noble class. There are noble peasants also. This child will have an unspoiled heart. I will raise Sosuke's child, surrounded in love and light. He or she will need careful guidance to steer clear of the hatred that consumed Sosuke. I will raise our child to be wise and caring, like Byakuya is…gentle at heart, like I am. And the steps I take now, will pave the way for our child to have acceptance we did not._

_I hope._

_Still…_

Tetsuya made a low sound of distress, wrapping his arms around his midsection as his mind suddenly returned to the icy, dark place that had imprisoned him, denying him any semblance of a normal childhood.

_"Know your place, half-blood!" Orochi hissed, shoving him back against the hard stone wall and watching him collapse, "I'm the only thing protecting you from the rest of the men in here. You remember what it was like before I marked you as mine! Now, get up and show me your gratitude."_

_Tetsuya pushed himself onto his hands and knees, but his body shook too hard to rise any farther. He could only manage a pained whimper as Orochi grabbed the front of his worn yukata so violently that it tore._

_"P-please, Lord Orochi, it hurts!" he sobbed._

_"Sleep there in the corner of my room then, like a dog!" Orochi snapped furiously, shoving him back down onto the floor, "I don't know why Byakuya wants you protected anyway. You're completely useless, even as a slave!"_

_"Gomen nasai, I promise I will try!"_

_"Shut up!" Orochi scolded him, slapping him hard as he tried to get up again, "Go to sleep, Tetsuya. You won't be of any use in this condition."_

"Master Tetsuya!"

Tetsuya snapped instantly out of his thoughts, startling at even the familiar sound of his own longtime attendant's voice.

"Sorry! Sorry!" the green-eyed youth apologized, moving to Tetsuya's side, "I didn't mean to frighten you, but I heard a strange sound and came in and saw you were crying!"

_Crying?_

Tetsuya's hand rose and his surprised fingertips found a damp trail of tears were coursing down his face. He started to turn away, but his attendant climbed onto the bed and embraced him tightly.

"It's all right, Master Tetsuya," the young man said gently into his ear, lacing their fingers together, "You never have to be afraid of what I'll think of you. I am not just your attendant. I am your cousin and your friend. I'll hold you anytime you're frightened or lonely or sad. Just let me comfort you. Please."

Surrounded with his attendant's kindness and warmth, Tetsuya felt both embarrassment and fear drain out of him. He leaned quietly against the other young man's shoulder, breathing slowly.

"Thank you, Koji," he whispered, looking up as Byakuya appeared alongside a sleepy looking Ichigo in the doorway.

"Is Tetsuya all right?" the Kuchiki leader asked, "I felt an alarming disturbance in his reiatsu."

"I am fine," Tetsuya lied, "Gomen nasai, it was just a flashback."

Byakuya gave him a concerned look.

"You haven't had one disturbing enough to bring tears in a long time, Tetsuya."

"And you look pretty pale," Ichigo noticed, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, please don't concern yourselves. Koji knows how to handle my setbacks. You needn't be bothered with them. I am all right now and I just need to rest."

"I will stay with him, Lord Byakuya," Koji promised, "I know how to calm him when he is like this."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, "thank you, Koji. Please have Torio wake me if there is any need."

Koji nodded, coaxing Tetsuya back into resting against his shoulder and running gentle fingers through the waves of his hair.

"I will have Torio bring some tea," Byakuya offered.

"Please make it ginger tea," Tetsuya requested, "I feel unsettled inside."

"Very well," Byakuya agreed, turning back into the hallway with Ichigo following.

He spotted his own attendant coming out of his bedroom.

"Torio, will you bring ginger tea for Tetsuya? He's had a setback."

"Ah, I'll get that right away," Torio promised, bowing.

"Does this happen a lot?" Ichigo asked, slipping a hand into Byakuya's as the two returned to the master bedroom, "I mean, I heard you say he hadn't had one in awhile, but…"

"It used to," Byakuya sighed, moving to his side of the bed and climbing back in.

He sat quietly for a moment, shaking his head in confusion.

"He used to have flashbacks frequently, and he underwent a great deal of counseling to overcome that. Tetsuya's emotional state has improved greatly as healing and love have made the markings on his body and heart fade…but there is some of that which can never be undone. Tetsuya will always carry a measure of that pain on his heart. I've helped him find his strength, but I fear he will never be whole again until something changes…and the end of the war…the way he was excluded from the marriage arrangements, the failure of the elders to give him the recognition he deserved for protecting their lives!"

"Whoa!" Ichigo said, laying a hand on his arm as Byakuya's reiatsu flared suddenly, "Take it easy. You could've knocked me onto the floor."

"My apologies," Byakuya said, carefully reigning in his errant power, "It just makes me angry."

"Tetsuya's a good person. He doesn't deserve to be treated differently for such a stupid reason. He's beautiful and powerful, and he obeys even their dumbest rules. You'd think they'd take that into consideration."

"Many of them do," Byakuya explained, "There have been positive changes during my grandfather's leadership and mine, but there is still so much that needs to be done."

"Well, I'm a noble heir now. I'll help, if I can," Ichigo offered, "I mean, I know we raise some eyebrows, but we have our place back now. There must be some way to bring things out of the dark ages, here, and make things better for the mixed blood family members."

"The Kuchiki elders are a difficult group, and they feel they've done enough, tolerating Tetsuya's placement as my healer and bodyguard, as well as head of house security. That would have been unheard of in the past. Tetsuya also has a pureblood cousin as his attendant."

"I'll bet they just loved that," Ichigo chuckled.

"It riled some of them, but this is my household and no one is allowed to counter my orders about house placements. Tetsuya has proven himself to be capable and completely loyal. He is talented, and especially in the wake of the recent war, we need that talent."

"You don't have to convince me," Ichigo chuckled, "I'd trust him with my life, just like you already trust him with yours."

"Tetsuya appreciates that," Byakuya said, the hint of a smile touching his lips.

Ichigo started to speak again, then paused and winced, making a discomfited face.

"Is something wrong?" Byakuya asked.

"Just a little dizzy for a second," Ichigo said, running a hand over his suddenly slightly sweaty face.

"Tetsuya was right. You look pale," Byakuya said, touching his cheek.

"I'm just tired from all of the lovemaking," Ichigo giggled, dropping onto his back, "and I think I might've had something to eat that didn't agree with me. Maybe a belly rub would be good?"

"I think I can manage that," Byakuya said, lying down beside him.

He slipped a hand beneath Ichigo's yukata, sliding it gently over the younger man's slim abdomen, releasing a touch of his reiatsu to calm the area. Ichigo sighed contentedly, looking up into Byakuya's calm, affectionate gaze as the Kuchiki leader soothed away the discomfort.

"That feels really good," he whispered, reaching up to curve a palm around his lover's soft, flushed cheek, "but you're starting to turn me on again."

"When do I not?" Byakuya chided him teasingly, "Ichigo, you are obviously not feeling well. I am not going to…"

Byakuya's words disappeared into a surprised exhale as Ichigo turned suddenly, taking him down and flipping him onto his belly.

"Ichigo, stop!" he objected, "I know you're not up to…"

He sucked in a flustered breath as Ichigo's weight dropped onto his back, and he felt the insistent touch of the younger man's hungry member on his bottom.

"I'm good now. I promise," Ichigo laughed, beginning a slow invasion, "You made me feel good again. Let me make you feel even better!"

Sensing the inconsistent flicker in his amorous lover's reiatsu, Byakuya considered insisting that he stop, but there was an almost instant sense of intoxication, feeling Ichigo's unyielding strength as he made his entry and bit down on the back of the reeling Kuchiki leader's bare shoulder.

"Ichigo!" Byakuya panted, lifting his hips slightly and closing his eyes.

_So impulsive!_

He found it impossible to continue his thoughts as Ichigo's hard, fast thrusts brought him swiftly to the ends of his endurance. He gave in with a sigh, smiling as he felt Ichigo's body stiffen, then shudder in release. Such beautiful, melting heat flared inside him, a strangled cry escaped him. A sharp nip on the back of his neck seemed to amplify his pleasure to the point where his ears rang loudly, and he felt his body weaken. He pulled free of Ichigo, turning and seeking his mouth.

It took the Kuchiki leader a moment to realize that Ichigo's body had gone limp and his eyes were closed.

"Ichigo!" he called urgently, "Ichigo, are you all right?"

Ichigo stirred and groaned at the sound of his name.

"S-sorry," he mumbled, "Just got a little…"

"Baka!" Byakuya snapped, glaring at him, "I told you to get some sleep before we did this again."

"Relax, I'm fine!" Ichigo giggled, nuzzling his cheek and earning a petulant scowl in reply.

"It's not fine when you pass out while we're making love!" Byakuya complained.

"C'mon, people sometimes do that," Ichigo insisted, "You just got to me with that sexy shimmy of yours."

It wasn't often that he was able to make the usually stoic Kuchiki leader blush.

"You're ridiculous!" Byakuya scolded him, turning away.

Ichigo wrapped strong arms around him from behind and kissed him on a flushed cheek.

"And you're the most beautiful person I've ever met," he breathed into Byakuya's ear, "No wonder I wanna make love to you until I pass out. I never met anyone like you."

"Do not try to flatter me," the elder man said indignantly, "Lie down and get some rest now, or I promise you, I will get up and leave you here by yourself for the rest of the night."

"Oh, you wouldn't be that mean to me," Ichigo snickered, licking his lover's soft earlobe, "I need to snuggle up with you to fall asleep."

"I believe you have already told me this tonight, and you ended up seducing me after," Byakuya reminded him.

"Well, can you really blame me?" laughed the younger man, reaching under Byakuya's rumpled yukata and wrapping a hand around his lover's bare bottom.

A sudden, loud growl emanated from Ichigo's stomach, and the two exchanged amused glances.

"I guess I'm hungry now," Ichigo announced, "How about a late night snack."

"Fine," Byakuya capitulated, "but we are going to sleep afterwards. I only have a few more hours before I have to get up and get ready for work."

Ichigo scowled.

"Who the heck goes to work before dawn, anyway?" he complained.

"Captains do," Byakuya said primly, sitting up and tightening the tie at his waist.

"Captains?" Ichigo repeated, "What captains? You don't think Kenpachi or the new head captain, Shunsui will be up any time for noon, right?"

"I meant responsible captains," Byakuya said dryly.

"Ooh!" Ichigo laughed, "Did Byakuya Kuchiki just diss a senior officer?"

"If, as they say, the shoe fits," Byakuya answered, giving him a smoldering look.

"I'm hungry enough to eat a shoe right now. How about we go and get a snack."

"Torio can…"

"C'mon!" Ichigo said, taking Byakuya's hand and pulling the surprised Kuchiki leader to his feet.

"I suppose there's no stopping you," Byakuya sighed, "but promise me…"

"Yeah, I'll sleep after this. Now, c'mon!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Deep in the bowels of Muken, Sosuke Aizen felt a strange, soft burning against his breast, and a little flicker of light formed behind his eyes. He saw a flash image of Tetsuya in his mind, dressed in his bedclothes and sitting up, his face pale and tormented, tears running down his cheeks.

"Tetsuya?" he whispered, "What is this?"

He remembered then…

_Tetsuya paused as he reached the bonds that were to cover the prisoner's chest. He looked quietly into Sosuke Aizen's curious eyes and slipped a silver celtic charm from around his neck, placing it on the prisoner and laying the charm against his bare breast before binding him again._

_"What is this?" Aizen asked, watching Tetsuya's slightly shaking hands work with the bonds, "What is that charm?"_

_"It is a moonstone pendant," Tetsuya explained, "But I have infused the moonstone with my reiatsu."_

_"And why have you done this?" Aizen inquired, looking down at Tetsuya's bowed head._

_The younger man paused, keeping his gaze lowered._

_"Tetsuya, look at me," Aizen said sternly._

_Tetsuya's head rose, and his anxious blue eyes locked on Aizen's narrowed brown ones._

_"No one should be left alone in their suffering," the young man whispered, "When you feel the weight of darkness, focus on this and you can connect with my mind. Through me, you can connect with sensory things that I experience. If the connection is strong enough, we may be able to eventually exchange thoughts."_

_"Fascinating," Aizen mused, barely noticing as Tetsuya's shaky hands laid the rest of his bonds carefully back in place, "Thank you, Tetsuya. I'm not used to people sympathizing with me."_

_"Sympathy would suggest that I agree with you," Tetsuya said quietly, "What I offer is empathy. Maybe this is something you haven't experienced in a long time, but empathy is central to healing."_

_Aizen smiled._

_"Are you trying to heal me, Tetusya?" he asked in an amused tone._

_"I am trying to show you love."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because that is what my tainted, mixed-blood heart is telling me to do. Please don't ask me anymore questions. I will be back as soon as I have confirmation of a soul within the spirit chamber inside me. And after the child is born, you will tell me the location of the rest of the information I need."_

_"Of course," Aizen said approvingly, "And since you've been so lovely, I will give you a gift."_

_"You don't need to…"_

_"Why don't you visit my old cabin in the woods, near the south edge of your cousin's estate," Aizen suggested, "In addition to a peaceful retreat, you may find my hidden diary. I'm sure there's something of interest to you in there."_

_Tetsuya sucked in a surprised breath, only to find it taken away again at Aizen's next words._

_"Be very careful, Tetsuya. The way only gets more treacherous from here."_

_"That's why I am doing this," Tetsuya assured him, pulling back a fold of his clothing to reveal a second charm, "I have infused the charm I wear with your reiatsu. If I am compromised, you may be able to help me…if that is something you want to do."_

"You are a complicated person, Tetsuya Kuchiki," Aizen whispered into the darkness, "Not many people surprise me…but you do."


	3. See What You Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Byakuya and Ichigo make a shocking discovery together, Tetsuya goes to retrieve Aizen's diary...and finds someone unexpected.

A muffled sound of discomfort reached Byakuya's sleeping form and brought him awake to find that Ichigo was no longer lying in bed with him. He sensed his lover's presence in the master suite bathroom, and that he was in the company of Byakuya's attendant.

_Ichigo is ill?_

_He was feeling poorly last night too, and I suppose after getting up in the middle of the night and filling up on food as he did, it's not that surprising, but…_

He left the bed, his smooth white hands tying his yukata closed as he crossed the room. He stepped into the bathroom and found Torio looking on sympathetically as the ginger-haired man heaved and threw up into the toilet.

"Oh man," he groaned gratefully accepting a cool, damp washcloth and running it over his sweating face, "this sucks."

"Are you all right, Ichigo?" Byakuya asked worriedly, "Torio, did you ask Tetsuya to come?"

"Koji went to wake him, but he wasn't here, so I sent for Hanataro. He should be here in a moment."

"Hmm," Byakuya said, moving closer to his discomfited lover and slipping an arm around him, "let's get you back into bed."

"It's okay," Ichigo insisted, rubbing his stomach for a moment, "I felt sick as a dog before, but as soon as I tossed my cookies, I felt better. I think it's just…"

Ichigo went silent and the three men stared in surprise, not noticing that Hanataro had arrived, because of the soft, pink light that emerged unexpectedly from Byakuya's hand and seeped into Ichigo's body.

"Uh…Byakuya?" Ichigo mused, blinking as the light grew brighter and the gentle exchange continued, "What's going on? What is this?"

Byakuya's lovely face lit with mingled surprise and wonder, and his hand slid down to cover Ichigo's where it rested on the younger man's belly. Hanataro stood frozen in the doorway, staring raptly through disbelieving eyes and Torio shook his head, unable to hold back a sweet, joyful smile.

"This exchange should not be happening between us," the Kuchiki leader explained quietly.

"It's weird, but not in a bad way," Ichigo said more softly, resting his head on Byakuya's shoulder and relaxing as his lover's reiatsu continued to flow into his body, "Before, I felt like something was wrong…like something inside was off, and I couldn't figure out what it was. It made me feel dizzy and nauseous. I threw up because of it, but it wasn't like I felt sick exactly. I can't really describe it very well."

Byakuya swallowed hard, looking into Ichigo's eyes and trying to choose his words carefully.

"Ichigo, you know that there are some nobles who are like Tetsuya," he began.

"Like Tetsuya?" Ichigo repeated, frowning, "Are you talking about him being a breeder male? I thought you said he was the only one. You're not saying…"

"When I told you before about Tetsuya, I told you that he is the only identified, living breeder male. The breeder males, after saving the noble clans from dying out in the wake of the first war with the quincies, were hunted by those who never accepted them. But even though the original breeder males, who were made through alteration of their genes, have all been killed or died naturally, it was discovered that the breeder male gene appeared in some of the male offspring of the breeder males. There is no test for this. The way it usually becomes known is when the breeder male first becomes pregnant."

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Are you saying that Tetsuya was…? He doesn't have a child, so…"

"Tetsuya became pregnant by his cellmate, while he was incarcerated in Itamigiri. As soon as the pregnancy was discovered, he was condemned to death. Tetsuya was lucky that the raid occurred when it did, or he would have been executed. Unfortunately, Tetsuya's cellmate was killed in the escape, and Tetsuya lost their child, due to injury and poor nutrition. When he arrived at Kuchiki Manor, he was so traumatized, he could not even speak to us. It took many years to undo the damage that was done to him in that place, and the truth is, he is still recovering. But this strays away from what we need to concern ourselves with now. The symptoms you are having, are the same as those described in what few records we recovered from the ruins of the prison, after the raid."

"What?" Ichigo exclaimed, pulling free of Byakuya and staring back at him in dismay, "Are you saying you think I threw up because I'm pregnant? Me?"

"It all fits," Byakuya said in a stunned voice, "The paleness, fatigue, fainting during our lovemaking, nausea, dizziness and vomiting? I suppose we could check for other things, but based on what we know, I think that you were somehow able to become pregnant."

He shook his head in confusion.

"Tetsuya is the only breeder male identified in our clan in the last two hundred years. It is possible that either my grandfather or father carried the gene as well, but it never manifested because they married and reproduced with females. The only other possibility is that it came through your family."

"You mean, there could be breeder males in my family too?" Ichigo asked in a shocked tone.

"It is possible," Byakuya confirmed, "The breeder male is able to either impregnate another male or be impregnated, so it is impossible to know which of us is the carrier of the gene."

"Wait a second," Ichigo said, giving him a confused look, "If that's the case, how do you know that Tetsuya is the breeder male and not his cellmate?"

Byakuya's eyes clouded and his face took on a troubled expression.

"We know because after his rescue, we recovered a hidden record kept by someone we were not able to identify. This person was a doctor or scientist, who recorded that Tetsuya had an earlier pregnancy by our cousin, Orochi that was terminated at Orochi's request, and without Tetsuya's knowledge…although, I suspect he knows. In any case, the chances of both Orochi and the prisoner, Naoki, carrying the gene are astronomically low."

"So, it it's pretty much certain Tetsuya is the one who carries the gene," Ichigo concluded.

Byakuya nodded.

"With you and me, it is not possible to know, unless more information comes out that shows a link in one of our families."

"Well, my dad's been seeing Ryuuken Ishida…"

"But he is a human quincy," Byakuya explained, "A human male cannot get pregnant this way."

"Huh? But, I'm part human," Ichigo objected.

"You are half shinigami," Byakuya said, his frown deepening as another thought occurred to him, "Ichigo, it occurs to me that the part of you that is human may reject the pregnancy, if you try to return to the living world and enter your human body."

"What?" Ichigo exclaimed, giving him a look of alarm.

Byakuya took a steadying breath.

"I think as long as this pregnancy goes on, you must remain here, in Soul Society!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Sosuke Aizen felt an odd, dizzy sensation in his head that brought him out of the bored haze he was in and made him draw a deeper breath, looking inward to see what it was that had brought on the sudden disturbance. He felt the strange sensation of another mind brushing unexpectedly against his, and to his surprise, an image of Tetsuya rose up in his head, one so sharp and defined that it completely defied what he might have expected.

_Tetsuya explained to me that the pendants made a connection between us, but he seemed to believe that the connection would be weaker than this…at least, at first. What I see in front of me is no illusion. I can feel it. I am with him in mind, though not in body._

_Fascinating!_

He honed in on the powerful disturbance that had caught his attention before, and looked more closely at Tetsuya's image. The young man rested on his knees at the top of a lovely waterfall, but bent forward and holding his midsection as he expelled the contents of his stomach, then panted and coughed in recovery.

So soon? Tetsuya mused inwardly, his words reaching Aizen attentive mind with perfect clarity, Those other times…it…it seemed to take longer before.

Tetsuya's blue eyes looked out, over the top of the falls, filling with mingled fear and awe.

_I don't know how to feel._

_It's strange._

_When it was Orochi's baby, they took it before I even realized. With Naoki's son, the baby reached sentience and began to connect with me. Being already damaged inside and out, it crushed my heart when I lost both Naoki and the baby._

Tetsuya shivered as a twinge of guilt radiated inside his aching heart.

_To be honest, I did not love Naoki. I never learned about love, except in stories my mother told me when I was very small, and I had not yet been separated from her. Orochi's abuse taught me to hate and fear sex. His hands always felt cold and violent when he touched me. Naoki was my friend. He touched me also, but he said that he did so, so that I would understand what love felt like._

_I hadn't the heart to tell him that I still didn't know after being with him. Maybe I was just too broken. But he was a good person, and he only ever acted like my friend…so I endured his touches quietly…although I never climaxed._

_Not with Naoki._

_Not with Orochi, though he tried and tried to force me._

_I never experienced sexual completion until this time with Sosuke Aizen. I don't understand why I would feel such a thing with him. We are not lovers. We do not feel anything for one another. We made an agreement. I sold my affections to win justice for my lost friends and family. Whatever it takes, I will obtain justice._

Tetsuya's slender body shook with a mix of anger and deep sadness, and tears leaked down his face. His arms wrapped more tightly around his midsection as he cried for the infant inside him.

_I will protect you, little one. You are the innocence that was taken away from me. Unlike me, you will be surrounded with love as you grow. You will not know the hatred and wickedness that I did. You will not watch your parents die. I will never speak the name of your father, and I will always remain strong, so that I do not fall victim to the ones who hate us._

_Never again._

Tetsuya's pale fingertips brushed his tears away, and he took steadying breaths until he calmed, and the feelings of nausea and dizziness faded.

_His reiatsu pours through the link to balance mine and the baby's. This should ensure that I am able to hide the pregnancy. I will also use waterforms to hide it as I progress. I do worry, though, because my reiatsu may fluctuate and I could lose my powers, later on. I will have to disappear at the end._

_But who would help me to deliver this child without letting anyone know? Whose silence could I ensure?_

Tetsuya stiffened as he felt the touch of Aizen's mind on his, and an image of the Karakura shopkeeper, Kisuke Urahara, entered his thoughts.

_I had thought of him before, but I wonder if he'll really keep this from my cousin…and will I be able to keep from him who this child's father is? If he learns of it, will he turn on me and…_

_God, I can't even think of having this child taken from me too!_

_I have to keep this secret for as long as I can._

He quietly recalled Aizen's parting words to him.

_He told me to go to his old retreat near the edge of our property. It is there, he said, that his diary is hidden. I came out this way, intending to go and find the diary…but my heart is conflicted. I already know what the noble families did to Sosuke's family. I know that more happened than he told me, and the remainder may be in this diary he sent me to retrieve. Why would he share this? And why share it with me? He said there was information that would be useful to my cause. I just wonder what._

Tetsuya climbed slowly to his feet, pausing to brush the stray leaves and bits of grass from his house guard's uniform. His head turned and his dark, wavy hair fluttered in the breeze as he looked in the direction of the concealed cottage.

_I do need to know._

He started to move, then went still as he sensed Arashi approaching. The stallion's mind reached out to his, but Tetsuya only bit his lip gently and closed his mind to his surprised counterpart.

_I am sorry, Arashi. I must do this alone. Go home and wait for me._

He sensed the stallion's confusion at the rejection, and the flare of indignant anger that followed, but he remained silent and slipped away, following an old, overgrown trail that led through clusters of trees and thick woods. It took nearly an hour to reach the place that the cabin was supposed to be, and even when he did arrive, it took him longer to sense its position.

 _There is still concentrated power here_ , Tetsuya realized, passing through the barrier and heading inside, _Sosuke was careful in protecting this place. It looks to have been a retreat he might have used for personal reflection._

Tetsuya startled at a sudden movement to his side. He reached for his weapon, only to have it yanked from his hand and sent clattering across the wooden floor. A tall, wild-eyed man with long silver hair and a missing arm shoved him up against the cabin wall and locked him carefully in place, touching a wicked looking knife to his throat.

"Well, who are you?" the man asked in a shaking voice.

Tetsuya noticed then, that the man's whole body seemed unsteady.

"I…I am not your enemy, Gin Ichimaru," Tetsuya assured him.

Get away from him, Tetsuya, Aizen's voice warned the younger man, He will kill you.

Tetsuya looked into the silver-haired man's eyes.

"I am Tetsuya Kuchiki. I am Lord Byakuya Kuchiki's cousin and personal healer. I will take care of your injuries, as is required of me under the healer's oath. I will not inform anyone you are here."

Gin's eyes flashed for a moment with deadly rage.

"You cannot tell anyone I am alive," he hissed softly, "No one knows I survived."

"I understand," Tetsuya answered as calmly as he could, despite the knife at his throat, "Please allow me to help you?" he offered.

 _Tetsuya, he is far too dangerous_ , Aizen's voice warned him, _Even if you heal him, he will probably kill you, because he figures he has to if he wants to keep you quiet. Get away from him!_

"My arm has been gone for a really long time," Gin said, looking quietly at the place where the missing limb had been, "Are you saying that you are talented enough to heal that? Though, I suppose if you are Byakuya's healer, you must be very talented."

"I am talented enough to heal you completely," Tetsuya promised, "The healer's oath requires that I provide healing to any who need it, regardless of who they are, or what situation they might be in. I am expected not to divulge anything that passes between us…not to anyone, unless you give your permission. You are in no danger from me. I give you my word."

"The word of a bastard noble?" Gin mused.

"I am no bastard," Tetsuya answered, smirking very slightly, "My father was Takao Kuchiki, first cousin to Byakuya's father, and my mother was a peasant of the Rukongai. I am a half-blood, so you may expect I am less likely to violate my oath than most of my pureblood brethren."

The levity seemed to make Gin relax slightly. He chuckled and pulled the knife away from Tetsuya's throat, allowing him to step forward. Tetsuya motioned towards a nearby sofa, and Gin sat down, watching as Tetsuya knelt in front of him and set a healing barrier around them.

"You do look familiar, Tetsuya Kuchiki," Gin said, frowning thoughtfully, "Have we met before this?"

"Not in person," Tetsuya admitted, leaning forward and pausing for permission to proceed.

"Go on," Gin urged him.

Tetsuya's hands shook very slightly as he opened the injured shinigami's clothing. He froze at the sight of the scarred region over Gin's damaged heart. Gin studied Tetsuya's pale face for a moment.

"It's ugly, but it didn't kill me…at least, not yet."

"How did you get away?" Tetsuya asked quietly, his hand extending to just over Gin's mutilated chest.

"On my hands and knees," Gin explained, "I knew about the cabin, and I knew Sosuke wouldn't be coming back. I managed to not die, but I've been gradually weakening. I don't know that ordinary healing will be able to cure this."

Tetsuya gave him a little smile.

"I am not an ordinary healer," he laughed softly, "My powers work a little differently."

"I can see that," Gin said appreciatively, as the dark, ragged markings on his chest began to shimmer and fade, "How does it work?"

"I command water," Tetsuya explained, "I make waterforms that take on the appearance and texture of anyone or anything I will. When healing, they can replace lost limbs and organs, and I can provide additional blood to account for blood loss, just by copying some of the blood cells."

"That is amazing," Gin sighed, staring at his healed chest.

His narrowed blue eyes moved to where his arm had been, and Tetsuya nodded and wrapped his power around the area. Gin watched in wonder as Tetsuya's waterform took on the shape of his missing arm, then very slowly solidified.

"I've never seen anything like that," Gin mused as Tetsuya withdrew his power and leaned back, wiping a hand over his sweating face.

He swayed dizzily and placed his hands on the floor, breathing slowly to try to recover.

"Are you all right? You look like you're about to pass out," Gin said, laying a hand on his arm.

Tetsuya's head turned, and his eyes registered fear as Gin's form began to waver in front of him.

_Will he help me if I pass out…or will he just kill me?_

_Oh god!_

_I can't…_

_…can't…_

The air darkened in front of him and the last thing he saw was Gin's icy blue eyes gazing down into his.

 _Tetsuya_! Aizen's voice called out in his spinning mind.

His voice echoed oddly and disappeared entirely as Tetsuya crashed down into blackness.


	4. Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gin and Tetsuya strike a deal, while Byakuya and Ichigo bond.

Quiet footsteps and the scents of cooking food brought Tetsuya out of sleep, but he felt a jolt of worry at finding that although he was lying in a warm, comfortable bed, his hands and ankles had been secured to the head and foot rails, and a blindfold had been placed over his eyes. He felt the slight weight of reiatsu limiting bands that someone had placed on his wrists. Although fear blossomed in his insides, determination was stronger as he sensed Gin coming close to him. The silver-haired man sat down at his side on the bed.

“Sorry, Tetsuya,” Gin apologized flippantly, “You seem like a good fellow, and you did heal me. In return, I didn’t kill you when you were done, but I’m not going to pass up on what I can get from you being here.”

“What is it that you want?” Tetsuya asked, “You know I am a healer, so you must be aware that I am not a violent person. I am also not a criminal.”

“Now, that’s just funny,” Gin chuckled, “In fact, that’s very funny.”

He leaned over Tetsuya, loosening his bonds so he could sit up, then tightening them carefully, so he could eat, but not escape. He removed the blindfold from over his captive’s eyes and set a tray of hot food in Tetsuya’s lap. Tetsuya was tempted by the steaming, delicious smelling food, but he left it for a moment and focused on the man in the bed with him.

“What seems funny to you?” he asked calmly.

“Hmm,” Gin mused, smirking.

“You tell me that you are no criminal, yet I can sense Sosuke’s reiatsu on you.”

He tilted his head and his enigmatic smile widened.

“I sense his semen too.”

 _But, I removed all signs of him before returning home_ , Tetsuya thought anxiously.

He almost startled as Aizen’s voice sounded in his mind.

 _Gin was once my lover_ , the traitor explained, _It seems that, although he had plans to kill me, Gin was lonely and so was I. Tetsuya, this makes him very dangerous. You need to convince him to let you go. Take my diary and get out of there quickly!_

“You’re letting him have sex with you?” Gin inquired, “I thought he was in Muken. Are you hiding him somewhere too?”

“No,” Tetsuya answered, “Sosuke is in Muken. Yes, I let him have sex with me, because in exchange, he agreed to help me find evidence of…of a terrible crime that took place a long time ago, and was covered up.”

Gin’s slitted eyes cracked open and focused on him, sending a little chill through Tetsuya.

“I looked you over and I didn’t see any markings,” the silver-haired man related, “That tells me that Sosuke was being gentle with you. He usually enjoys marking his lovers.”

“I am not the man’s lover,” Tetsuya said shortly.

Gin’s look of amusement deepened.

“I’m sure that’s what you think, sweetheart, but if Sosuke is having sex with you, then he’s invested…and he’s either getting something or he’s up to something.”

“I know that,” Tetsuya assured him, “I certainly know better than to trust the man. I am, as I said, getting something important out of this, so if all Sosuke wants in return is to use my body for his pleasure, then I will pleasure him.”

“I see,” Gin said, giving Tetsuya a look that made clear he was much less than convinced, “Well, then, if you are handing out treats in exchange for something of value, maybe you can make a deal with me too, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya gave him a curious look.

“What would you have to offer me?” he asked, frowning, “Not that I have any intention of…”

“Oh,” Gin laughed, “I don’t want your body, though I am a little lonely. There’s someone else I have in mind to see to that. What I need is access to someone.”

“I won’t give you access to kill anyone.”

“Well, that’s fine,” the silver-haired man laughed, “because I don’t want to kill this person. I just want to talk to her.”

Tetsuya nodded in understanding.

“I know you were close to Rangiku. You wish to talk to her? I mean, you could have asked for her help before.”

“I thought I was done for before, and I only crawled away here to die. I had no idea I’d be fortunate enough to live this long and have a very talented healer show up to heal me. That’s quite an unexpected turn of events. Given I won’t have to depend on her to directly help me, I’d like to at least let her know I’m still with the living and not six feet under, you know?”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Tetsuya agreed, “But…if I help you, what is it that you can offer me? Did you have something specific in mind?”

Gin laughed softly.

“I don’t know you well enough to know that. But, you came here for something, didn’t you? And the fact that you could see the place and enter, means that Sosuke wanted you to be able to find it and get inside. So, what is the story with you two, Tetsuya?”

 _Think very carefully before you speak_ , Aizen’s voice warned him, _Remember that Gin was holding a grudge against me for taking that piece of Rangiku’s soul. He tried to steal the hogyoku to get it back._

Tetsuya considered silently for a moment.

 _Why not give it back? Can you?_ he inquired of Aizen.

 _Yes, of course,_ the traitor responded.

 _Then, why didn’t you, if you knew that it’s all he really wanted from the start?_ Tetsuya asked, _One would think that if you were Gin’s lover, then you might have given it back to him as a gesture of your love for him._

 _I did love Gin, however, I needed the threat that he posed so that I would be able to evolve,_ Aizen explained, _His anger was useful._

Tetsuya sensed Aizen’s soft laughter at the heated flicker of the noble’s annoyance at his answer.

 _No wonder he wanted to take your life,_ Tetsuya mused, _That’s horrible!_

 _Yes,_ Aizen agreed, _I am._

“You don’t want to tell me?” Gin said suddenly, breaking him out of his reverie.

“It’s not that,” Tetsuya explained, “It’s just that…neither one of you is the most trustworthy person.”

“How very astute.”

“So, I have to be careful. Let’s just say that I don’t know yet how you can help me, so I will inform you when I’ve decided on something.”

“That sounds fair,” Gin said, nodding approvingly and extending a hand.

He laughed as he realized that Tetsuya’s still bound hand couldn’t quite reach his, and he adjusted.

“Then, we are agreed?” he asked.

“We are agreed,” Tetsuya said solemnly.

“Good. Eat something. You need to restore yourself after the healing you did.”

“I would eat better if my hands weren’t still bound. We have an agreement, don’t we? You don’t still need to confine me, do you?”

Gin moved closer, smirking as he breathed his next words into Tetsuya’s flushed ear.

“No, I just like seeing you tied up, that’s all,” he snickered, “Sosuke has good taste in men. You’re really quite a tasty looking little morsel, aren’t you?”

He laughed at the disgusted look Tetsuya gave him in reply, then he reached over and shattered the kido spell holding him in place.

“Don’t forget our deal, now, Tetsuya,” Gin warned him.

Tetsuya let out a huff of breath and rolled his eyes.

“I’m not the one here who has a history of backstabbing, am I?” he asked sarcastically.

“No,” Gin purred mischievously, “you are not.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo smiled as Byakuya’s attendant entered the room and bowed respectfully, giving him a warm smile.

“Is there anything I can bring you, Lord Shiba? Are you hungry for a snack?”

“A snack?” Ichigo laughed, “I just had a big breakfast a little while ago. Although…I have to admit, I could eat a little more. Sure.”

“Do you have something in particular that you think you would like?” the attendant asked.

“Eh, well usually, I have some favorites, but right now, it just seems like I could eat anything. Surprise me.”

“Very well,” the attendant said cheerfully, “I will be right back, Lord Shiba.”

Ichigo yawned and stretched as Byakuya stepped back in from the manor gardens and joined him on the bed.

“How are you feeling?” the Kuchiki leader asked, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

“Pretty good, now that I’ve stopped throwing up for the moment,” Ichigo chuckled, “How about you? Are you ready to go and announce this thing to your stuffy elders?”

Byakuya gave him an amused look.

“Are you prepared to go and tell your father?” he asked, “From what I recall of Shiba Isshin as I knew him, he is going to have an interesting reaction.”

“Although, he would have had a stronger one before he started seeing Uryu’s dad,” Ichigo giggled.

“That is probably true,” Byakuya agreed.

“So…seriously, what are we gonna tell everyone? _When_ should we tell everyone?”

Byakuya considered quietly for a moment.

“Well, as it is likely to cause a stir, I suppose waiting would be in order. We don’t need to invite their interference until it’s necessary. For now, I think we should just delight in the news, ourselves.”

“Yeah,” Ichigo agreed, “Maybe we can wait until my morning sickness isn’t so bad. At least, then, I won’t have to deal with that, and them, at the same time.”

“I think that is a good suggestion,” Byakuya agreed, “In the meantime, I will need to give you an infusion of my reiatsu to ensure that the balance is kept between your body and the developing child’s.”

“How do you do that?” Ichigo asked, giving him a curious look.

Byakuya moved in behind him and coaxed the younger man onto his knees. He wrapped his arms around the Shiba heir from behind, laying his palms on Ichigo’s soft belly, then leaking reiatsu through his hands.

“Wow, that feels really good!” Ichigo sighed, “Oh man…I could do this all day.”

“It is very pleasant,” Byakuya agreed, “and it does not just support the stability between the baby and you, it also strengthens the bonds between us as we connect this way.”

“Not like it wasn’t already strong,” Ichigo chuckled.

“It always has been,” Byakuya assured him, “even when our connection was not so positive as it is now. Strong connections like ours can be positive or negative.”

“I’m glad ours is positive now.” Ichigo sighed, sinking more deeply into Byakuya’s embrace, “I never liked it when you treated me like I was an enemy.”

Byakuya smiled sadly.

“I should never have done that.”

“Well, you aren’t anymore, so that’s something. I think what’s most important is that we’re good now. I feel so close to you.”

“You are as close to me as a piece of my own soul,” Byakuya whispered, “Never forget that. I treasure our love…and I am glad that it has yielded this dream that I never thought possible. I promise you now that I will always love and care for you, Ichigo…and I hope that we have many children together.”

Ichigo blushed and gave a nervous giggle.

“Okay, but um, do you think that _you_ could have some of those many children?” he asked, smirking, “Cause as great as it is, having your baby? I’m kinda anxious about it. I don’t really know anything about how to do this, you know?”

“There is nothing to do but eat well, walk a bit every day for exercise, and keep up the infusions.”

“I guess I can do that,” Ichigo said, sounding more settled.

He felt a nagging twinge in his loins and looked down between his thighs, wondering at the large erection that had formed there.

“Uh, Byakuya…”

“Ah, that is a side effect of the bonding,” the Kuchiki leader explained, “The physical closeness awakens our more primal urges.”

“You mean, we’re going to get horny when we do the bonding?” Ichigo asked, smirking.

“Yes,” Byakuya answered smoothly, “but don’t worry, Ichigo. I will make sure that you are… _comforted_.”

“Well, isn’t that nice of you,” Ichigo laughed, laying back in Byakuya’s arms and meeting him for a long, open mouthed kiss that began with him sitting with Byakuya’s arms around him from behind, and ended with him turning to tackle the Kuchiki leader, bringing him down on his back.

“I think I need to get a little payback for you knocking me up by surprise,” the ginger-haired man said in a playful tone.

“I see,” Byakuya said calmly, “I probably owe you that, so…what kind of payment would you like, Ichigo?”

Ichigo laid on top of the noble, considering as he nibbled on Byakuya’s soft lips.

“Hmm, I don’t want to waste a chance to ask for something good, so let me think.”

“Very well,” Byakuya agreed, sliding a hand down between them to stroke his younger partner’s warm, damp penis, “Take your time.”

“I can’t think while you’re doing that.”

“Do you want me to stop?” Byakuya teased him,

“Hell no!” Ichigo laughed, “Keep doing that. I like it.”

“As you wish.”

Ichigo’s golden brown eyes closed and his eyelids fluttered as Byakuya’s hand continued to stroke and caress his flustered cock.

“It’s kinda _hard_ to…” Ichigo began.

He paused, laughing and blushing.

“I can’t think when you do that,” he groaned, thrusting into Byakuya’s firm hand, “You’re doing that on purpose to distract me.”

“I did say I would stop, if you want me to.”

“Maybe don’t stop,” Ichigo panted, brushing sweat from his suddenly damp forehead, “Maybe, uh…p-put your mouth on me, okay?”

“You want me to put my mouth on you?” Byakuya inquired, blinking slowly and making his aroused partner salivate, “Of course.”

He turned, laying Ichigo gently on his back, then his warm hands spread the younger man’s creamy thighs very slowly. The noble paused, breathing in deeply and flashing hungry grey eyes on Ichigo, making him salivate even more and move his hips impatiently. Byakuya smiled and lowered himself, then Ichigo had to clench his teeth as something almost unbearable soft and delightfully hot wrapped around his leaking hardness. Dizziness flooded his head and he thickened even more at the wonderfully erotic sight of the proud Kuchiki leader laying between his thighs and sucking him off with just that, oh so sweet, frowning mouth.

_Oh my god, he’s so sexy like that! His eyes peeking through his messy hair like that, and his fingers digging into my thighs. His mouth feels like silk on my cock and, oh fuck, he’s so…so good with his tongue! I think I’m gonna go crazy._

He almost sobbed in dismay as Byakuya’s mouth suddenly released him.

“Are you all right?” the noble asked, smirking very cutely, “You look riled. I’m not sure the excitement is good for you.”

Ichigo’s feisty eyes flared and he tackled the not so very surprised noble, and laid him on his back again, managing only a hasty preparation before sinking his inflamed penis into Byakuya’s readily yielded depths. He thrust hard and fast, moaning loudly and clenching at his lover’s strong shoulders.

Byakuya moved with him, his narrowed grey eyes watching Ichigo’s impassioned face closely, reading his increasing ardor and moving with him to stoke the younger man’s fires into a hot, raging flame. The heat rose to an inferno, and their bodies writhed furiously against each other’s, bringing the two to a towering peak, then throwing them over and into the beautiful shudders of a gripping climax.

Ichigo groaned in surrender and collapsed onto Byakuya’s naked breast, panting, quivering and attacking the Kuchiki leader’s mouth with a torrent of wet finishing kisses.

“I love you…love you so much!” he groaned happily.

“You forgive me for impregnating you so suddenly then?” Byakuya asked, his smirk returning.

“Didn’t say that,” Ichigo laughed, “What we just did? That was just the beginning!”


End file.
